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Introducing New-tricious Foods : Deninu School

(Photo: Alexander Mils on Unsplash) Advice from the On-the-Ground Experts at Deninu School, Northwest Territories Oftentimes we hear that school breakfast coordinators want to introduce new nutritious foods to their menu, but they fear doing so because students are sometimes reluctant to trying out new foods. That being said, there are ways around these obstacles, and […]

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Juice It Up With Whole Fruits!

Choosing the best nutritional options for your breakfast program can be tricky so that’s why we’re here to help! This month we are focusing on consuming whole fruits and vegetables rather than juice since they offer many more nutritional benefits than its counterpart, often containing added sugar. On top of this, juiced fruit is: Not […]

RECIPES

Introducing New-tricious Foods : Deninu School

RECIPES

Juice It Up With Whole Fruits!

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RECIPES

Introducing New-tricious Foods : Deninu School

(Photo: Alexander Mils on Unsplash)

Advice from the On-the-Ground Experts at Deninu School, Northwest Territories

Oftentimes we hear that school breakfast coordinators want to introduce new nutritious foods to their menu, but they fear doing so because students are sometimes reluctant to trying out new foods. That being said, there are ways around these obstacles, and we wanted to showcase a program who took on the challenge of introducing new foods in their program this year. The secret? Nutritious food can also be delicious food!

Meet Deninu School in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories. Here, an inspired volunteer wanted to teach students that homemade foods made with simple ingredients and less sugar foods can taste just as good (or better) than processed foods. Some of the new foods introduced were egg frittatas, home-made granola, whole-wheat baking and bannock, baked potato wedges, veggies with home-made dips, and pancakes with pureed, frozen vegetables added to them. The school admits that in the beginning, the students were more reluctant to eat less sweet foods at breakfast, but in very little time, their taste buds seemed to adjust and the kids quickly began enjoying them – especially when they saw older students or their peers enjoying them! In fact, the veggies and homemade dip are now a program favourite at Deninu School!

So you are probably hoping for some tips on how to go about doing this in your program. Well, go no further! We asked Deninu School to help us out here seeing as they are the pros in this area:

Serve and cut new foods into smaller portions for students to try. This way they fit into small hands, are less intimidating, and help to reduce waste.
Make the names more interesting. When Deninu School introduced whole wheat French toast, they creatively called it ‘Quebec Pancakes’ which peaked student interest.
Puree fruits and vegetables and add them to things like baking, pancakes, smoothies etc. If access to fresh produce is hard to come by, use frozen or canned fruits and veggies (ideally without added sugar or salt)!
Accept that students need time to familiarize themselves with new foods. Some will need to be exposed several times to them before enjoying them. Persevere!
Be flexible – sometimes the school will put out maple syrup, but they are starting to notice that the students are not using it much anymore. Sugary items, eaten occasionally, also have a place in a healthy diet!

Thanks to Deninu School for sharing! We hope this story has inspired you to spice things up in the kitchen and introduce new-tricious and varied foods on the menu!

As always, please reach out to your Club Coordinator if you are looking to ntroduce new foods into your program but are not quite sure how to start. We are always thrilled to hear from you!

RECIPES

Juice It Up With Whole Fruits!

On top of this, juiced fruit is:

Not a whole food: in juice, the fruit structure has changed and chewing is not needed. Chewing is an important part of the digestive process leading to feeling full.
Higher Consumption and Increased Sugar Intake: Did you know a cup of juice contains the same amount of sugar as a cup of soda?! Because juice is so concentrated you end up with a surprising high amount of both natural and typically sugars. Without the fibre of the whole fruit to help us feel full and help our body to balance blood sugar levels, we are left with a huge energy crash not long after drinking juice. Blood sugar spikes and crashes can negatively impact our body’s natural ability to know when it is truly hungry or full, which can often lead to overeating.
Reduced Fibre: The skin and pulp of a whole fruit are viable sources of daily fibre, which are often removed during the juicing process. This reduces the nutritional value of the juice significantly, compared to whole fruit.

So while serving juice at your morning breakfast program is sometimes tempting, we encourage you to consider whole fruits as the more viable option! If fresh fruit is not as easy to access in your community, then frozen fruit is a great alternative and goes great in a morning smoothie! Canned fruit packed in water is another good option for when fresh fruit is not available (careful of added sugars here).

And as always, we are here to help if you have any nutrition questions or would like to brainstorm how to spice up your morning menu!

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Introducing New-tricious Foods : Deninu School

Juice It Up With Whole Fruits!

Introducing New-tricious Foods : Deninu School

Juice It Up With Whole Fruits!

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Introducing New-tricious Foods : Deninu School

Advice from the On-the-Ground Experts at Deninu School, Northwest Territories

Juice It Up With Whole Fruits!

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